A ground-breaking project brought together artists, architects and researchers from Queen Mary University of London to develop a greater understanding of temporary uses of urban space
Revaluing Temporary Urban Use is a research collaboration connecting urban researchers with art and architectural practitioners to discuss temporary urban use. The project focuses on the values mobilised by practitioners, local authorities and users on selected projects in Hackney Wick, London. It is creating a final publication addressed at practitioners, public and private sector organisations, and policy-makers.
Project aims
The project wanted to provide a space for critical reflection for practitioners operating within a complex set of competing value systems. By bringing together practitioners and urban researchers, it aimed to expand understanding of the values surrounding projects of temporary use (e.g. alternative economies, voluntary labour), and their relationship to wider dynamics
ESSENTIAL INFO
Type: Creativeworks London Creative Voucher SME: Andreas Lang, director, public works
www.publicworksgroup.net
Academic: Dr Mara Ferreri, Dr David Pinder, School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London Duration: 8 months
circumscribed. This could benefit from a dialogue with the study of broader cultural, social and economic urban dynamics. For practitioners experimenting with forms of temporary use (re-use, recycling, prototyping, etc), this knowledge is essential to position their practice and understand barriers and possibilities.
By engaging in collaborative academic research through the notion of “values”, it was possible to open up space for critical reflection and dialogue with policy-makers, practitioners, residents and other organisations beyond the day-to- day needs of practice. It facilitated networking and discussions that, it is hoped, will inform and benefit practitioners.
Andreas Lang, public works –
“We also benefited from the working methodologies brought to the collaboration by the researchers.”
Future directions
The changes affecting Hackney Wick are rapid and complex, and the success of this collaboration would provide a strong basis for further academic research, particularly as the study of temporary urban uses is an emerging field. public works is very interested in establishing an ongoing
relationship between its project work and future research. ■
Above: Dr Mara Ferreri, of Queen Mary University of London, and public works’ Andreas Lang
Above: Frontside Gardens, skate park and events space, initiated and run by Andrew Willis
discuss aims, material conditions and the competing values embodied by their practices. The collaboration
The successful collaboration between art and architecture practice public works and the research team from the School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, has allowed the
company to produce a piece of research that directly addresses its needs and those of the networks it operates in.
Andreas Lang, public works –
“The collaboration has allowed us to reassess the rigour with which we interrogate our work.”
Impact on the business
public works says it is too early to assess the impact on its business. Collaboratively it produced a public debate on the Values of Temporary
Use and published a response to the outcomes of the talks. Both contributions have had a slightly more academic tone than the company’s work usually has and therefore addressed a new and, in some respects, more critical audience to its event and project. Why was academic knowledge essential for the project? Artistic and architectural urban practice produces project-specific knowledge which, according to public works, at times remains of urban transformation, and to
answer the question: which value(s) are mobilised by temporary uses and who benefits from them? While temporary and interim grassroots uses are promoted by policy- makers, a range of organisations and the media, the project
identified the lack of a critical space for temporary-use practitioners to voice their experiences, and
LONDON FUSION
CREATE
CASE STUDY 04
PUBLIC WORKS
BEYOND THE POP-UP:
NEW APPROACHES
TO TEMPORARY USE
A ground-breaking project brought together artists, architects and researchers from Queen Mary University of London to develop a greater understanding of temporary uses of urban space
Revaluing Temporary Urban Use is a research collaboration connecting urban researchers with art and architectural practitioners to discuss temporary urban use. The project focuses on the values mobilised by practitioners, local authorities and users on selected projects in Hackney Wick, London. It is creating a final publication addressed at practitioners, public and private sector organisations, and policy-makers.
Project aims
The project wanted to provide a space for critical reflection for practitioners operating within a complex set of competing value systems. By bringing together practitioners and urban researchers, it aimed to expand understanding of the values surrounding projects of temporary use (e.g. alternative economies, voluntary labour), and their relationship to wider dynamics
ESSENTIAL INFO
Type: Creativeworks London Creative Voucher SME: Andreas Lang, director, public works
www.publicworksgroup.net
Academic: Dr Mara Ferreri, Dr David Pinder, School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London Duration: 8 months
circumscribed. This could benefit from a dialogue with the study of broader cultural, social and economic urban dynamics. For practitioners experimenting with forms of temporary use (re-use, recycling, prototyping, etc), this knowledge is essential to position their practice and understand barriers and possibilities.
By engaging in collaborative academic research through the notion of “values”, it was possible to open up space for critical reflection and dialogue with policy-makers, practitioners, residents and other organisations beyond the day-to- day needs of practice. It facilitated networking and discussions that, it is hoped, will inform and benefit practitioners.
Andreas Lang, public works –
“We also benefited from the working methodologies brought to the collaboration by the researchers.”
Future directions
The changes affecting Hackney Wick are rapid and complex, and the success of this collaboration would provide a strong basis for further academic research, particularly as the study of temporary urban uses is an emerging field. public works is very interested in establishing an ongoing
relationship between its project work and future research. ■
Above: Dr Mara Ferreri, of Queen Mary University of London, and public works’ Andreas Lang
Above: Frontside Gardens, skate park and events space, initiated and run by Andrew Willis
discuss aims, material conditions and the competing values embodied by their practices. The collaboration
The successful collaboration between art and architecture practice public works and the research team from the School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, has allowed the
company to produce a piece of research that directly addresses its needs and those of the networks it operates in.
Andreas Lang, public works –
“The collaboration has allowed us to reassess the rigour with which we interrogate our work.”
Impact on the business
public works says it is too early to assess the impact on its business. Collaboratively it produced a public debate on the Values of Temporary
Use and published a response to the outcomes of the talks. Both contributions have had a slightly more academic tone than the company’s work usually has and therefore addressed a new and, in some respects, more critical audience to its event and project. Why was academic knowledge essential for the project? Artistic and architectural urban practice produces project-specific knowledge which, according to public works, at times remains of urban transformation, and to
answer the question: which value(s) are mobilised by temporary uses and who benefits from them? While temporary and interim grassroots uses are promoted by policy- makers, a range of organisations and the media, the project
identified the lack of a critical space for temporary-use practitioners to voice their experiences, and